This is Why Americans Throw Out $165 Billion in Food Every Year

Americans have a complicated relationship with food: They eat a lot and waste a lot.

More than half of Americans say they’re aware of the problem of food waste, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Plos One, published by the Public Library of Science, but that 53% who admit to disposing of food also say they’re not willing to do much about it. Just over 42% of people agree trashing food is a waste of money and nearly one-quarter say they do not have enough time to worry about food waste. But while 53% of people say food waste is exacerbated by bulk and sale purchases, almost the same amount (53%) believe it would be difficult for their household to reduce food waste further.